Inheritance Book IV: Beginnings
by Theo3983
Summary: book four in my mind. starts where Brisingr left off. E/A and eventual N/M, S/oc
1. Chapter 1

This is the first fiction that I have written. Go easy on me the first few chapters please. My take on what happens in the fourth book. Eragon/Arya, Nasueda/Murtagh, Saphira/oc.

Inheritance Book IV: Beginnings

Eragon was still standing on the wall next to Saphira, looking out over the fields, when Arya came up to him. The graceful elf instantly recognized the look on Eragon's face. It was the face of someone trying valiantly to cope with an immense loss.

"Glaedr has not returned to us yet then?"

"No. He has yet to overcome his grief from the loss of Oromis," said Eragon.

Turning to look at Arya, Eragon found the traces of tears in the emerald eyes he knew so well. Deciding not to comment on the fact that Arya had been crying, he instead said, "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

"Nasueda wants to speak to both you and Saphira in the war room," was the elf's emotionless reply. The mask was back on in full force.

"_How am I to get in the war room? The hole I made during the battle isn't large enough for me to get through comfortably."_

"The hole has been expanded so you have plenty of room Saphira."

At this Eragon spoke up. "When did she want us?"

"As soon as I found you we were to report."

At this the three made their way through the city. Eragon and Arya maintaining a light jog that was still faster than most humans could hope to run. Saphira glided above them, reminding all those who remained in Feinster that the Empire was no longer running the city.

When they reached the war room, they found Nasueda, Orrin, Jormundur, and Nar Garzhvog, along with Narheim. At the sound of the doors opening, all of them looked up to see Eragon and Arya walk in, Eragon still carrying Glaedr's eldunari. Looking around the room, Eragon noticed the tired looks on everyone's faces. Nasueda broke the silence.

"Where is saphira?"

A loud _thump _answered her question as Saphira dropped from the roof onto the floor.

"Good. Now we can begin." At this, Nasueda looked at the three and spoke in the voice Eragon had learned not to argue with.

"I am sending you three on a scouting mission to Belatona tomorrow. You are to scout the city and see if you can gleam any information on the amount of soldiers, defenses, and possible weaknesses. Do either of you have any questions?"

"No, My Lady." "None here either."

With that, Saphira leapt out the roof while Arya and Eragon used the door. Arya went to her room to gather her gear after they decided she should stay in Eragon's suites in order to leave unnoticed. Eragon meanwhile was moving his treasured possessions into his pack. He placed the bottle of Faelnirv, his copy of the poem he wrote for the Agaeti Blodhren, and 'the Domination of Fate' that he received from Jeod. He laid out his armor on his table and cleaned the rust off with a spell. After oiling and polishing it, he did the same to his shield. As he was placing his pack and armor next to Brisingr, he heard the door open and close. Turning, Eragon saw Arya removing her pack to place next to his. Her black armor went next to his and her sword next to Brisingr. When she spoke, she was oddly hesitant.

"Eragon?"

"What is it Arya?"

"With all of our gear in here, where are we going to sleep?" At this Eragon froze.

Arya would never admit it, but there was something appealing in the way Eragon's body reacted to that information. Finally Eragon said something.

"Well you get the bed, and I'll sleep… I'll sleep…" He stopped, and massaged his temples as he thought.

"Eragon?"

"Yes Arya? What is it?"

"The bed is large enough for two with a comfortable distance between the two."

"Are you sure?"

"You do not want to know the results of you instigating anything." Eragon winced at those words.

"So be it."

Lying on the bed as far apart as possible, the two fall into actual slumber for the first time in many weeks.

____________________________________________________________________________________

When Eragon woke up, he attempted to roll out of bed, but something was weighing him down. Still slightly confused from waking up, he started remembering what happened the night before. As realization dawns on him, he also remembers her threat. He was still trying to think of a way to move Arya without waking her, when she yawned and opened her eyes.

Arya was comfortable to say the least. She had just gotten a full night of actual sleep for the first time in weeks, and she felt the results. It was only when she yawned and felt whatever she was lying on stiffen, that her mind caught up. Keeping her eyes closed for the moment, Arya used her sense of touch to determine that she was lying on her stomach, her head on Eragon's chest, and one leg draped over his. Deciding not to do anything to Eragon, she opened her eyes.

"Arya I…" Eragon's words were cut short by Arya's finger on his lips.

"I never said anything about me initiating anything Eragon. However, there is no time for debate. We must go before others wake up."

Eragon shuddered at the cool air as Arya stood and donned her armor and sword. Taking that as his cue, Eragon quickly said the word to shave his beard and donned his armor as well. As he was buckling the belt of Beloth the Wise, he opened his mind to Saphira.

"_Why didn't you tell me she was on top of me_?" At this Saphira chuckled mentally.

"_If I had, Arya would not have gotten closer to you. She doesn't realize it yet, but she needs you just as much as you need her."_ Eragon didn't have an answer to that so he picked up his pack and went outside to join Arya.

Placing their packs in Saphira's saddlebags, they mounted and stole into the predawn sky. With Arya pressed against him, Eragon could not help but smile at the thought of waking up with her coming into his mind.

"_Focus Eragon! Arya is talking to you."_ Eragon blinked and concentrated on Arya just in time to catch the last part of what she said.

"… Was a mistake." She said, looking at him with an expressionless mask on her face.

"How can it be a mistake when neither of us was in control when it happened? In order for it to be a mistake, someone has to commit the mistake, no?"

Arya thought hard on these words. "Perhaps. But that does not change the fact that it shouldn't have happened. I value your friendship Eragon, and we cannot be distracted from our duties."

Eragon sighed as he said, "I know Arya. I am not debating whether it should have happened. I am debating whether it can be termed a mistake, or just unhappy chance."

'More like happy chance,' Arya thought to herself, or so she thought.

"_How long are you going to deny my Rider Arya? You yourself are starting to notice feelings for him."_

"_It cannot be Saphira. He is a Rider, I'm a princess. He is young and I am old. Our duties will not allow it."_

The time past in silence as each member of the trio pondered their thoughts on each other. As they drew near to Belatona, they noticed camps of soldiers around the walls. As Saphira flew high enough that even an elf would mistake her for a bird, Arya and Eragon used magic to see the city below.

It seemed as if nature was on the side of the Varden, as a tornado had destroyed a large section of wall on the wall next to the gate. Most of the soldiers were camped at this breach, in an obvious attempt to ward off attackers. Eragon had just told Saphira to turn for Feinster when the air a hundred yards from them shimmered. Instinctively, Saphira sent a stream of sapphire flames at the shimmering mass, to reveal Murtagh and Thorn. Murtagh appeared to be carrying something, but that did not stop him from grinning, drawing Zar'roc, and charging as Thorn let out a roar of challenge.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"What is he doing here!?" cried Eragon.

"Calm down Eragon, what has you so excited? Murtagh could have made it here from Gilead with little trouble if he flew through the night."

"And what of the injuries Thorn received from Glaedr?" At this Arya let out a gasp. "It should have taken days to recover from those wounds, yet here he is, in full health, and not tired."

"_This changes little, Little One." _"You are right Saphira. Shall we dance, Friend-of-my-Heart?"

"_Let us dance Little One."_ At that, Eragon and Saphira merged their minds as they had done on the Burning Plains. After a moment, Eragon included Arya in their mental powerhouse. Although not connected as completely as the other two, it DID allow for three things to be done at once in perfect coordination. Arya took over the job of mental combat with Murtagh, while Eragon and Saphira engaged in the physical one.

As they approached Thorn, it became obvious that he was not in perfect health. His tail was still missing three feet, but the wound was staunched. Most of the gauges made by Glaedr were gone, but some still remained. The puncture wounds on Thorn's left hind leg were bleeding slightly. Murtagh looked weary as well, but he was uninjured. The item he was carrying had been stowed in his bags just before the battle was joined.

Arching her neck back, Saphira let loose a torrent of sapphire flame as Arya slammed their combined mental force into Murtagh's mind. A hundred years of experience was not wasted on Arya, but when she ran into a mental wall that rivaled the one at Troy, it was all for naught. She searched in vain for cracks or dents of any sort that she might worm her way through the walls. The upside to this situation was that Murtagh could not retaliate for fear of being overwhelmed. It was now a purely physical battle.

Not taking the time to wonder where Murtagh's Eldunari enhanced strength had gone too, Eragon and Saphira clashed with Murtagh and Thorn again and again. Murtagh appeared weary, but this was offset by Eragon having to protect Arya as well as Saphira from the cruel bite of Zar'roc. Arya was still focusing on pinning Murtagh's mind behind his walls, but she took the time to say Brisingr. Eragon's sword danced with flames as he drew it, causing Murtagh's eyes to go wide. Taking notice of the sword in Eragon's hand for the first time, he noticed instantly it was a Rider's blade. But how the flames were caused, he didn't know, because he was still behind his walls and didn't notice Arya's mutter.

Eragon took advantage of this reaction. As Saphira did a looping barrel roll that took her over Thorn inverted, he swung with all his might. Murtagh reacted too slow, proof of his weariness once more, and was knocked from his seat. The strap holding his right leg was the only thing keeping him alive. Thorn made a beeline for the ground, harried every foot by Saphira. His tail shortened again by a six feet, three claws missing on his right front, and numerous burns where Murtagh's wards had failed; he was in bad shape when he landed.

Cutting himself loose, Murtagh felt more confident on the ground. After all, last time he engaged Eragon in melee, he won. The fact that Eragon was tired at the Burning plains never crossed his mind. As Saphira landed, Arya jumped out of the way of Eragon. She was ready to aid Eragon, but she wanted to see for herself how well Vanir's lessons had paid off. The only times she had seen him fight were in large battles, where one on one prowess was not as important.

Striding forth with Brisingr in his right and his newly cleaned shield in his left, Eragon thanked whatever higher order existed for allowing him to fight a difficult opponent when he was rested. This had never happened before, save the Raz'zac. And even then he was wounded early. Durza cornered him at the end of the battle under Farthen Dur, Murtagh challenged him at the closing moments above the Burning Plains, and Varaug was after the siege of Feinster. This time Eragon was rested, and had Arya and Saphira backing him up, against a battle worn Murtagh and a severely wounded Thorn.

As the two humans tangled blades, Arya took the time to examine Thorn. Murtagh had put something in his saddlebags. During her inspection, the right saddlebag, suffering from the effects of Oromis's battle and the one ongoing, ripped at the bottom. A cloth sack fell out and rolled down Thorn's leg, coming to a stop ten feet from him. Just as Thorn began to move towards it, Arya cried "letta!"

Frozen in his tracks, Thorn could only glare as Arya retrieved the sack. The sudden use of magic came as a shock to Eragon, as the strength needed to paralyze a dragon was nothing to scoff at. Murtagh however, had a much different reaction. He fought like a man possessed. Summoning strength unheard of, Murtagh begins to push Eragon back. Eragon, remembering the duels while traveling with Murtagh, was able to anticipate the moves as he was unable to do with Vanir. Using his freshness to the utmost, Eragon began to use fancier moves to circumvent Murtagh's technique.

Watching from the sidelines, Saphira had little to do as Arya had paralyzed Thorn, except keep an eye on him and the battle. Conversing with Arya, who informed her that Thorn was not frozen, technically, Saphira started wondering about the sack.

Arya, for her part, had meant to slow Thorn's movements down to a snail's pace when she cast the spell. This lessoned the strain on the three. After peeking in the sack, she decided to keep the contents secret for now, as she didn't want to distract Eragon. Speaking of the Devil, he was doing just fine against Murtagh. Watching Eragon, Arya found herself admiring his build, the graceful way he moved, the fierce set of his jaw as he parried Murtagh's thrust, the way… 'Get a grip!'

'You can't be with him!' 'Why not?' 'It would distract him from his duties and you from yours.'

"_ARYA!"_

Shaking her head of her musings, Arya looked over at Saphira in apology, then looked at Eragon's battle. Murtagh was on his knees, Zar'roc a good twelve feet away. Eragon was looking at her, a questioning look on his face. After letting her spell drop from Thorn, who was in too bad of shape to do anything, she responded.

"What?"

"What should we do with him?"

Arya shook her head. She had been feeling attracted to this idiot? Speaking with her mind so Murtagh was not privy, she responded.

"We should kill him of course."

"Nasueda wants him captured, but we are too far into the Empire to do this. And besides, Nasueda and Orrin told me that executing people would be to overstep my bounds of being Nasueda's vassal."

They continued bickering for a few minutes before Saphira noticed a cloud of dust approaching.

"_The Empire has sent soldiers to investigate the fight. We must leave now."_

Speaking to Murtagh, Eragon tells him his life was being spared as they didn't have time to deal with a dragon that just lost his rider.

Jumping on Saphira, Eragon put his hand out to Arya, who took it due to the sack she carried in one hand. As they flew off, they saw Murtagh desperately trying to heal Thorn. Voicing a question that still bothered him, Eragon spoke up.

"How did they get this far south that fast, and with a great deal of healing done?" It was Saphira who answered.

"_During the battle, I overwhelmed Thorn's mind and found what they were doing here and how they were healed. The reason_ _why_ _is for Arya to tell when we land, and the reason they were healed was the use of a great many spelled orbs. Murtagh only had enough to completely heal the life threatening wounds. As to how they were in Belatona, Galbetorix teleported them. The Varden was getting too close to Belatona and he needed Murtagh to be a delivery boy."_

Eragon accepted that answer and resolved to talk with Arya when they landed.

Later that night.

Sitting around the small fire that was cooking their stew, Eragon asked Arya the reason for Murtagh to be above Belatona. She stood up with a sigh and went to her pack. The sigh was because she had caught herself thinking of Eragon with affection again. She berated herself and resolved to finish the talk with Eragon about the night in bed.

Returning with the sack, Arya said, "The reason Murtagh was needed in Belatona was because he had to retrieve this." At that she removed an emerald dragon egg from the sack. Eragon let the stew burn unnoticed as he looked at the egg in Arya's hands.

"Is that the last egg?"

"Obviously." This was accompanied by a roll of Arya's eyes.

"Now what?"

"I will care for it as I cared for Saphira's." Arya stated, as if no other venue was possible. Deciding to finish their talk right then, she continued. "That night was foolish Eragon."

After taking a second to realize what night she was referring to, Eragon replied.

"It was, but I recall you suggesting it, as I was searching for someplace else to sleep."

Here Arya had to think carefully about what she needed to say. The ancient language would not let her say she had no feelings for Eragon, or that she wasn't attracted to him, for those would be lies. So she settled for saying something else.

"I was still grief stricken over the loss of Oromis and Glaedr, exhausted from battle and fighting a shade. Surely I am allowed a lapse in judgment. Anyways, I was not assigning blame, simply saying that we should not do that again. It will interfere with our duties for us to do so."

Eragon did not like hearing this, but it was not new, and he had promised not to pursue her without her permission, so all he could do was agree. "Perhaps, but I have already promised not to pursue you, and so I won't without your permission."

Arya was about to respond when the egg started to rock. The trio looked on as it continued to rock back and forth, and small cracks started to appear. Eragon realized what this meant, and looked to Arya with amusement mixed with awe. Arya for her part, was staring at the egg, oblivious to all else that existed. As the cracks got bigger, a small claw poked through the shell, quickly followed by the rest of the dragon. There was now a squeaking green dragon in front of them, trying to crawl towards Arya.

Arya reached out with her right hand and touched the dragon on the snout. As she did, she felt as if she had been shocked by a bolt that went from her feet to her head at the same time she felt another mind merge with her own. At this, she looked up at Eragon for guidance. Arya had spent decades with dragon eggs, but didn't know the first thing about raising the actual dragon. It was her turn to look the fool.

"Now what?"

Eragon's reaction did not disappoint. Rolling his eyes, he replied: "isn't it obvious?"

"No"

"I have to train you to become a rider."

A/N: alright folks, it's a bit longer than the last one. Hopefully the rest of my chapters will be this long.


	3. Chapter 3: training begins

**Chapter 3**

A/N: sorry for the wait folks. On top of the time it took to write this, I spent about a week and a half away from my laptop and inheritance books. Curious as to why, shoot me a pm. Many have said the story seemed rushed, I agree as to the first 2 chaps. Deadlines suck ppl. Eragon and the green dragon's name belong to CP. On with the story.

"I have to train you to become a rider."

'I am so not hearing this.' That was what was racing around Arya's mind. How was it, she thought, that she could spend twenty years with Saphira's egg and she didn't hatch, but she touched this one for a second, and it did.

"_You were not the one I was meant for little one. You would have been immediately under Izlanzadi's authority. That would not have benefitted Alagaesia."_

"You have an answer for everything, as always Saphira."

"Not everything little, just most."

Eragon's voice brought Arya back from her talk with Saphira. "Well Arya, what are you going to do with your line of succession? If something were to happen to Izlanzadi, you would become queen, but you are also a rider."

"I know this Eragon, I was not born yesterday." Arya immediately regretted those words, but the damage had been done.

"I did not mean to imply that Arya svit-kona." Was his curt reply as he began to pack up the campsite.

'Barzul! Now he thinks I'm mad at him. How can I rectify this without explaining my emotions?'

A small chirping emanated throughout the campsite, effectively closing the discussion for now.

Finally taking notice of the small dragon in her lap, Arya noticed the feeling of hunger he was broadcasting to her. Saphira seemed to notice this, and tossed a piece of her last meal to Arya. While Arya sliced the meat so the dragon wouldn't choke, Eragon came to sit beside her, having finished the packing.

She jumped at the sound of Eragon's voice however. Arya had been focused solely on her dragon. "Do you know his name yet?"

Arya stopped to think about this. She hadn't really given it much thought, as it was still very sudden. Opening the still freshly created link with her dragon, she started naming male dragons from the past. With each name, the small emerald dragon gave off a feeling of distaste. Finally, she came to Eridor. The dragon immediately lit up as if it were a small child receiving a gift. _Eridor. _The voice came from her dragon, as if he were trying it on. The radiant elf looked up at Eragon and said proudly: "his name is Eridor."

"That is good Arya, now we must be going. We have to return and tell the news to our leaders, and then we must go train."

Returning to the Varden at Feinster, the four braced themselves for the torrent of questions sure to come. As they flew, they decided that Eridor would stay with Saphira until Arya announced her news. Arya had also done some thinking between herself and Eridor, who was already learning to speak like a normal person; possibly due to the presence of Saphira. She made a mental note to ask Saphira about that later. Right now she seemed to be talking with Eragon. She would renounce her claim to the Elvin throne, nominating Dathedur in her place.

Eragon and Saphira spent the time while Arya was speaking with Eridor to begin planning the training. The two eventually decided to take Oromis's training, and alter it slightly to accommodate Arya's elfish traits. They then began pondering the question of the green dragon's small size. It would take far too long for him to grow to fighting size alone, but if they altered his size, he would be ungainly, an immature mind in an oversized mind. The solution was presented by Saphira, Eridor's permission aside. Eragon would enhance Eridor's size by a small amount each day, therefore allowing him to acclimate himself in training with Saphira.

Nasueda paced in the throne room of her newly acquired castle, her mind racing a thousand times faster than her feet. 'How can we win? If this Oromis Eragon spoke of was slain by Murtagh, how can Eragon hope to fight Galbetorix? We have to do everything in our power to help him become stronger. I can't afford to lose Eragon or Saphira. Is there any way to make Murtagh switch sides? No, there are sure to be spells for that specific eventuality. Can we…'

The opening of the doors broke her train of thought. She immediately straightened her back and slipped an emotionless mask on her face as she prepared to meet the one entering. That mask was quickly replaced by a sigh of relief when she saw Eragon, followed by Arya. "Welcome back Eragon, Arya, how went your trip, and where is Saphira?"

"Hello My Lady. The trip went well, except for an unexpected surprise, but it was a success. As to Saphira, she is outside. There is no convenient way for her to be here."

"Very good Eragon, now, what news from Belatona?"

Eragon took a breath before launching into detail about the trip to Belatona, the defenses, which were strong, and the apparent overabundance of soldiers. Nasueda was shocked at the amount of preparedness on the part of Belatona. It did not have the look of a city taken by strategic surprise at all. She expected some fortifications, but not an armed camp. Where had the soldiers come from?

During all of this, Arya kept quiet, only speaking when she needed too, and was always careful to keep her palm facing away from Nasueda. _Why do you hide my presence? Are you ashamed of me?_ 'Never! I would never be ashamed of you Eridor! It is simply not the time to tell Nasueda yet.' _Oh._

Eragon then asked Nasueda how long it would take for the Varden to be ready for an assault on Belatona.

"Well, if the Urgals that Nar Garzhvog has promised arrive the week after next as he says, we shall be ready to go in a month. Then it will take us a good three weeks to travel the distance, a few days to prepare. Why?"

"Once again I must ask you if there is any way to slow the timeframe down. There is an important matter to which Arya and I must attend to."

"Can you tell me what that matter is? It may weigh heavily on my decision."

"Arya, show her." At this Arya took her right palm and showed it to Nasueda. The resulting gasp was expected. The faint that followed was not.

The current Nighthawks in the room, a Kull and a dwarf, immediately rushed over to her aid, while shooting the two riders glares that would melt steel. As she came to, Nasueda began laughing. Not the polite laugh that she learned at the age of three, this was an all out storm of laughter, rolling on the ground with tears in her eyes. When she finally regained her composure, she ordered Eragon and Arya to explain, as they had obviously left it out of their report.

Arya began telling Nasueda the details of the fight with Murtagh while Farica straightened out Nasueda's dress, still sleeveless due to the trial of the long knives. Arya was doing her best to give the report without emotion, but the memory of that experience was too much, and she started gushing out the information like the town gossip. Eragon started to snicker behind his hand until Arya shot him a death glare. Soon she was done with her tale.

"Where is your dragon Arya? Surely he can still fit in here?"

'Eridor, you can come in now.' _Finally, it took you long enough._

Eridor came swooping in the window. He flared as he landed, making a show of aligning his wings just so as he walked over to where Arya stood. When he reached her, Arya put her left hand behind his head and started scratching, eliciting a soft humming from the happy dragon.

"Now you know the reason I asked for the delay My Lady. What is your answer?"

"I can give you a grand total of four months Eragon. The two and a half planned, plus another one and a half of digging in and building siege weapons and conducting raids. After that, I will be forced to attack, or starve."

"I understand Nasueda. Where is your crying mirror? Arya should inform her mother as soon as possible."

Arya shuddered at that. The thought of telling her mother that Arya was renouncing her claim to the throne and was a rider, was not one that Arya enjoyed. Taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders, Arya faced the man sized mirror that Nasueda used for conversing with others.

After a few seconds, Lord Dathedur appeared, and Arya asked him to fetch the queen. Arya also told him to remain present, as he was involved. The elf's eyebrows twitched at that, but otherwise showed no emotion. Presently Queen Izlanzadi appeared, still arrayed for battle. Her armor was shining, except for a slight line on her left shoulder, which was stained with blood where an arrow had found its mark.

"What is it my child? Is everything alright?"

"Everything is fine mother, but I must now do something that you will not like until you here my reason for doing so. The bad news must come first unfortunately. I, Arya Drottingu, do hereby renounce my claim to the Elvin throne."

Izlanzadi's eyes grew wide in shock, and then briefly showed sadness before the mask was back in place.

"You were right Arya; I am not pleased to hear this. But what is the reason that you claim will offset this?"

Instead of answering with words, Arya simply raised her right palm as she silently asked Eridor to stand on her left. Once again the queen's eyes grew wide with shock, but this time the mask did not appear. A look of pure joy, one which no one had seen on Izlanzadi's face for almost eighty years, was now plastered across the queen's features. "Oh my daughter! You are a rider! This is every parent's greatest fantasy. There can be no greater honor than for my daughter to become a rider! My crown pales in importance in the course of my life. Do tell how this came to be!"

Eragon for one was shocked at how much the queen was talking, and at her lack of control she was using on her emotions. Arya took another breath before once again recounting her tale, this time telling the whole thing, including the original mission.

Nasueda asked the question that was apparently bugging both her and Izlanzadi. "What will you do now Arya?"

"I shall go with Eragon to train in becoming a rider, and when we are done, return and help fight against the empire." Arya was a little apprehensive of spending four months with just him, Eridor and Saphira, but she knew there was no way around it. Her main concern was keeping her feeling for Eragon from bursting out.

"Where will you train her at Eragon?" This question came from Izlanzadi.

"I was planning on using the island of Nia. It is close enough for us to reach u quickly in emergency, but isolated enough for our needs. With your leave My Lady, Majesty, we must be going."

With that, Eragon motioned for Arya to follow him, while Eridor flew out the window to join Saphira in the courtyard. When the two reached the dragons, there was a large crowd surrounding them. All of the humans seemed to be in awe of the green dragon crawling and flitting on and around Saphira. Arya smiled, as Eridor was sending all kinds of signals of happiness and content. 'Show off.'

After Eragon told Blodhgarm what they were doing and that the elves should place themselves under Nasueda for the time being, he looked for Roran. Not seeing him, Eragon was getting worried before Saphira told him that Roran was on a scouting mission of his own. Accepting that he would just have to scry him later, Eragon mounted Saphira, with Arya in front of him, and Eridor in her lap. With a great heave of her legs and a flap of her wings, Saphira was airborne.

The quartet was at the shore of the ocean, having flown along the coast the first day since they had left at midday, and the thought of a night landing on unknown lands was not appealing. Setting up camp in comfortable silence, the riders began to eat a stew from local herbs while the dragons shared a deer that Saphira had brought down.

Arya was bursting to the seams with questions, something she had never really experienced before. She opened her mouth to ask one particular thing that had been bothering her.

"Eragon…" Eragon cut her off.

"Stop. From now on, until your training is finished and I have given you permission, you are to call me and Saphira either ebrithil, or if we are for some reason speaking the human tongue, master. The same goes for you, young Eridor."

The small green dragon stood stock still with his head cocked, until Saphira gave a low growl.

_Yes ebrithil. It will be as you say._

"Good. Now, what was your question Arya?"

"Ebrithil, how am I supposed to train with Eridor if he is so small? I know it took Saphira many months to approach riding age." Eridor looked up from where he lay at that question, just as curious as Arya.

"Well, if Eridor gives me his permission, I will increase his size by a small amount each morning. This will allow him to get used to his new size during his training with Saphira. Now Eridor, do I have your permission to do this?"

_Of course Ebrithil. If it helps us in our fight, I would have it no other way._

"Very good Eridor, for you awaits the tougher training, as Saphira must turn you into being more at ease with flying than you are with breathing. For now, enjoy the last day of freedom, both of you. When we reach Nia, we establish a camp and go straight into training."

Arya took this to heart, and immediately lay down to go into her trancelike sleep. Eridor saw this and joined her, assuming, rightly, that this might be his last chance for some good sleep for a few months.

Eragon and Saphira shared a knowing look that clearly meant, _they have no idea_, and were about to do the same when a familiar voice emanated through both their minds.

_**Eragon, Saphira, where have you gone to? Do not tell me you left me unattended!**_

At this Eragon bolted to Saphira's saddlebags and drew out Glaedr's eldunari. It was once again shining with its old brilliance and power. Glaedr's voice spoke once more.

_**Tell me Eragon what has happened since my fall? **_

Eragon groaned. Exactly how many times was he going to have to explain his mission to Belatona? Sensing his reluctance, due more to frustration, Saphira told the tale instead. As Glaedr listened, his presence effused a feeling of satisfaction at the exploits the young rider and Saphira had accomplished. Once being told about Arya and Eridor, it took many minutes of convincing for him to not wake them immediately. Once he had been assured he could meet Eridor tomorrow on the flight, he acquiesced for the moment. Then, without warning, started quizzing Eragon and Saphira on things they had been taught. Confident they remembered their training, he started teaching Eragon and Saphira new things, which were not taught to any save the elder council or the leader of the riders. Ways to create wards using less energy to last longer, spells to circumvent spells, and much more. When he finally finished, Eragon thought his brain was going to burst. He had one consolation, which made him grin slightly. Tomorrow night, Arya would feel exactly the same.

Arya woke the next morning to Eragon sending a steady stream of cold air passed her face. Sitting up abruptly, trying to catch him, she saw him leaning against an already packed Saphira, a good fifteen feet away. Confused, she was about to ask a question when more cold air hit her in the face. Sputtering as if drenched in water, she looked up at Eragon to see him barely containing his mirth.

Smirking, Arya muttered "Adurna."

Suddenly Eragon was getting pelted with a steady stream of water drawn from the dew on the ground. With a yelp, he brought a look of concentration on his face, and the water turned on Arya. Shrieking, she jumped up and said; "I'm up, I'm up!"

Eridor and Saphira had watched the exchange with glee, as Saphira had warned Eridor beforehand. The two dragons were ecstatic to see their riders drawing closer.

A few hours later, while flying above the waters below them, Eragon introduced Eridor to Glaedr. The young dragon went hyperactive when he saw the eldunari of a true ancient. He instinctively knew what it was, and he was saddened because he knew that Glaedr was dead, but he still was talking to a legend.

Arya was able to enjoy the flight, along with Eragon, but the same could not be said of Saphira and Eridor. Glaedr spent the whole time teaching them the nuances of flight. Eragon paid enough attention to know what was happening, but Arya had not learned this lesson yet.

Speaking with his mind so Arya would not hear, Eragon asked Glaedr; "Ebrithil, since Saphira and I are training Arya and Eridor, can we be the ones to give the lesson on privacy?"

_**Of course you can Eragon. But if you want it to land home with Eridor as well, you must teach Arya something while we fly. It need not be that important, but it must be something new.**_

After thinking a second, he remembered her surprise when he cast magic without speaking. Leaning low to her ear, he said in a voice that Eridor would not hear.

"Would you like to know how I cast those spells without talking?"

"Yes, please ebrithil. It has been bothering me for hours." Eragon laughed, and decided to use Oromis's words to explain.

"Very well then, how is the ancient language bound to magic, Arya?"

"The words release energy to perform a spell." It was said as fact, proving that no one had mentioned this aspect of magic to her before.

"Ah, so if any creature creates the right sequence of sound, then it will perform magic? Does this not seem strange to you?" Eragon was struck by how similar this was to the discussion with Oromis so long ago. Continuing with his lesson, Eragon spoke again.

"Sound does not control magic. I can say brisingr and nothing will happen, unless I am holding my sword. The reason for this is that I do not will anything to happen. In retrospect, I can also do this." With a wave of his hand, a small ball of fire hovered in front of Arya, then disappeared with another wave.

"Think on this, and remember that you should always speak unless the need is dire. This prevents stray thoughts from distracting you and wrecking havoc."

Arya sat back against Eragon subconsciously as she mulled over the new information. Foremost on her mind was the fact that Eragon had grown exponentially since she saw him in front of the twins. Eridor noticed and asked her why she didn't tell Eragon ebrithil her feelings for him.

"I suppose the only reason I haven't yet is because it would interfere with his training me. I, no, we need him to be as focused as possible in order to train us. If I tell him now, he would be distracted by the knowledge of my feelings."

"_And just what are those feelings Little One?"_ This was accompanied by the mental equivalent to a smirk.

Sputtering, Arya finally managed to choke out in her head: "I, I, I love Eragon. I love Eragon!"

"_Glad to know that you finally understand yourself. And as to telling him, I suggest you ask Glaedr ebrithil when we land and Eragon is occupied elsewhere."_

Arya could not argue with that logic, and decided to nap while she had the chance.

Saphira immediately asked Eridor what they had talked about, and when he told her, she decided to keep their confidence and only tell Eragon that the new pair had NOT shared their training. Eragon smiled at this. Arya may be ancient when it came to age, but when it came to being a Rider; she was a babe in the Spine.

After landing on the small island of Nia, the group cleared a small area next to a clearing and built a small shelter for Eragon and Arya. It had three rooms when they finished for the day, one each for Eragon and Arya, and a larger room for both with a fire pit for cooking. Sitting around a fire outside, Arya was just starting to relax, when Saphira looked up from her goat and asked her; "_what are the rules three for spotting a downdraft, and the rules five for escaping_?" Arya just gaped at her

"How am I supposed to know, I am not a dragon!"

Looking at Eridor, Eragon asked him; "What is it that controls the magic we use?"

Confused, Eridor replied that he did not know, as he could not willingly use magic.

Eragon smiled to himself as he remembered this talk with Oromis as well. The main difference was that Oromis had been angry, because they were supposed to know this, having been alone for so long. Eragon did not expect Arya and Eridor to pass, but that is what he was there for. Arya caught the smile, and groaned. She knew what had happened and accepted the coming lecture.

"The number one rule of being a rider and dragon, is there is no I, there is no him. There are only we. You must become more one being than two Arya. I can tell you exactly what Saphira and Glaedr taught Eridor, just as Saphira can tell you exactly what I taught you. The reason for this is that we are always in contact. From now on, every night I will quiz Eridor, and Saphira or Glaedr will quiz you. Do you understand?"

"Yes ebrithil, I understand."

"Good, now you should get to bed. We rise early and time is against us."

"Yes ebrithil."

As Arya went into her room, Eragon went and spoke with Eridor, Saphira, and Glaedr. Sending Eridor to sleep with Arya, Eragon asked Glaedr; "How did I do?"

_**You did very well young one. I feel they will take this one to heart. What is it you plan on teaching next?**_

"I plan on sparring tomorrow before breakfast, then quizzing her on her knowledge of the ancient language. I believe I found an interesting way of doing this, so as to not have Arya lose interest. I am sure she knows a great deal, and I do not wish to have her bored with me. She must look to me as a teacher, not an equal yet."

_**You speak wisely little one, but do not distance yourself too much from her. That may have the same outcome as being boring.**_

"Yes ebrithil, good night. Good night Saphira."

"_Good night Little One." __**Good night Eragon.**_

The next morning, Arya was once again woken up by the stream of cold air. Looking around, she did not see Eridor. His voice sounded in her head. _Come outside Arya, and bring your sword. Saphira and I are going to go flying. Good luck._

Arya quickly dressed and buckled her sword on her hip. Exiting her room through the opening left for Eridor, she saw Eragon standing with Brisingr already in his hand. Knowing what to do, Arya drew her sword and blocked its edge, as Eragon was doing to his sword. She approached with apprehension. She had not seen him fight since he was changed at the Agaeti Blodhren. She knew he was an exceptional swordsman due to his ability to fight Murtagh, and slay as many men in battle as he did, but she had not seen him with her eyes.

Eragon waited for her to make the first move. He remembered the last time they fought, she was toying with him. This time he was stronger, faster, and had just as much endurance as an elf. When she did, move, it was with liquid grace as she thrust towards his chest. Any human would have been impaled by the thrust, but to Eragon it seemed to be in slow motion, as he easily brought Brisingr up to parry with an almost bored expression on his face.

Arya took this as a challenge, and strove to hit him with her blade. But no matter how fast or cunning she was, Eragon's blade was always there, always blocking or deflecting. Sometimes he didn't block, he just moved and watched the attack go sailing by. He never attacked, which was frustrating her more. Eragon noticed this and decided to make that the focus of the lesson. He had to end it while the thought was fresh on his mind.

As Arya let loose with an ill advised swing at his chest, Eragon stepped back and watched it sail by once again. This time however, instead of just waiting for her to recover, he stepped forward and placed his blade to her throat. "Dead."

As he said this, her mind caught up to the fact that his sword was at her throat, and she sighed. She had never been defeated before. Just as she was about to say something, an arrowhead sprouted from Eragon's chest.

Giving her a last look of pain, Eragon collapsed. As one, Arya and Saphira let loose a cry of rage as Arya turned to face the direction the arrow came from. Standing there with a look of triumph was a man with pale skin, flaming red hair, and fangs for teeth.

Review ppl. review!

Eragon is down, a shade appears, and Arya hasn't even gotten in a full day of training!

Next chap will hopefully be up by Sunday.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I hate making an A/N a chapter, so I'm telling u all now. I'm in Afghanistan with my National Guard unit. Updates will come when I can get time to write. Thank you all for the reviews. And those who made this an alert please review! On with the story.

Saphira immediately felt when Eragon was wounded, and roared in fury. Whoever had harmed her rider would die, plain and simple. She turned in flight and dove for where she could sense Eragon, along with an enraged Arya. Eridor was confused until Glaedr showed him the image from Arya. He put on speed so he could help his rider in battle. The fact that he was the size of an oversized horse was not going to stop him.

The shade, for his part, was not working for Galbetorix, at least not anymore. He was the magician on the sloops that chased Roran across the sea. As the sloop was sucked into the whirlpool, he uttered a spell to slow his breathing until he surfaced, and he managed to make it to Nia. Spirits came upon him two nights later and he made the mistake of trying to control them. Several took over his body, creating the shade. He heard ringing swords, and investigated, bringing his bow. He did not have a sword since it was lost at sea, but he did have a large amount of arrows and a large knife. He felt confident he could take the tired elf before him.

This confidence evaporated when Saphira and Eridor landed on either side of Arya. The shade swallowed nervously. He had just mortally wounded the human, and now there were two dragons, and one elf. He didn't have to wonder which dragon was losing a rider, as the massive blue one was already sending a jet of blue flames at him.

Arya was trying to come up with a way to fight a shade one on one when Saphira and Eridor landed on either side of her, sending tremors through the ground. Saphira wasted no time, sending flames at the shade. Drawing strength from Eridor to recharge her energy from sparring, Arya advanced on the spot where the shade was standing behind a ward that was stopping the flames from burning him.

Even though he was not being burned, the flames prevented him from seeing Arya's sword until almost too late. Diving backwards, he was still cut in the chest by Arya's thrust. A flash of fear crossed his eyes as he saw where the thrust was aimed. This elf obviously knew how to kill a shade.

Leaping back to buy time, the shade saw a sight that any breathing creature would fear. Two dragons and an elf with the intent to kill were advancing on him. To the shade, far more frightening than the blue dragon, was the elf. She had no mask on her face, which the spirits inside him had never seen before. Drawing his knife, he prepared to fight in earnest.

One thing that is more dangerous than a dragon driven crazy with grief, is a dragon driven mad with grief that is coordinating with another dragon and an elf, which is also driven mad with grief. Saphira, Eridor and Arya took the scant seconds it took for the shade to prepare to do some hasty planning.

Eridor moved to cut off any retreat while Saphira once again shot flames at the shade. This time however, she charged in while still producing flames, Arya right next to her prepping to strike.

The lack of magic in the fight was attributed to both sides planning on walking away. If the shade was still under the empire's control, he would have slain the whole group without thought. Arya had erected a fortress in her mind, only allowing the minds of the dragons' access.

The flames did the job of blinding the shade perfectly, and when he tried to retreat to get his bearings, he ran into Eridor, who clamped his teeth down on the shade's sword arm. Just as the flames stopped, he felt the pain in his chest that signaled his end.

As the three watched the spirits disperse, they heard Glaedr's voice.

_**Eragon may still be saved, but Arya will have to work quickly. The arrow is not what is killing him, the magic used by the shade is. Saphira, help Arya enter Eragon's mind. I do not know what the magic is doing to him, but it is causing Eragon to lose the will to live. Arya, you must enter his mind and find out what it is. Once you find out what it is, you must isolate it and I will destroy it. Quickly now! We don't have much time.**_

Arya went over to Eragon and knelt down. Saphira let Arya into Eragon's mind through the mental link they share. Eridor stayed out of the link, as there wasn't anything he could do.

As Arya entered Eragon's mind, she noticed that the two parts of his mind that controlled his memories and nightmares were flooding him with images. Every bad thing that had happened to him, and everything he feared, was being shown to him over and over again. She saw him searching through what was obviously his home to find his uncle; she saw the pain in his eyes as he left Carvahall, the fear when the Urgals first attacked him in Yazuac. Arya felt his pain as Brom died slowly in the cave. Then the fear Eragon felt during her rescue, when Durza appeared. She could see and feel the worry he had for her during his flight across the desert, along with the pain he endured to save her. She saw him almost drown at the gates to the Varden, the apprehension of allowing the twins access to his mind.

One thing Arya noticed quickly is that the magic was almost alive in the way it worked. It took a negative memory, only memories so far, and showed it. If Eragon was disturbed by it, the image would play again. The strength of Eragon's distress decided how many times.

Arya noticed that while Eragon was nervous about the battle of Farthen Dur, he was more worried about her safety, and that of all of the innocent. She witnessed just how much pain his back spasms caused him, and he continued with his training. Images of Saphira dying in various ways tormented his mind. One image was replayed over and over, with no signs of stopping. Arya focused on this for a minute, and saw a scene she was intimately familiar with. It was her rejection of Eragon during the Agaeti Blodhren. Eragon's mind almost shut down at that point. The magic afflicting Eragon noticed this and focused on images of Arya. The magic was obviously altering the images now, because she saw herself dead at the battle of the Burning Plains, and again at Feinster. Seeing that Eragon's mind couldn't take much more, as scenes with both her and Saphira dying started appearing, Arya began isolating the negative thoughts in Eragon's mind into a corner. Before she could finish, one last scene was created that came within a hairs breadth of killing Eragon.

Arya had just finished her training. Eragon once again professed his love for her, but she told him that they would never be together. Arya was astonished at the force of Eragon's reaction to this scene. He feared her rejection again more than he feared her death, or that of Saphira. Finally reigning in all of the images, Arya sent a thought to Glaedr that she was ready.

As Glaedr worked magic through her, Arya noticed Eragon's mind returning to the state that she was familiar with. Eragon opened his eyes in time to see the look on Arya's face before she placed her emotionless mask back on. He was still a little dazed from Arya healing him, but he could have sworn he saw a look of adoration and, dare he say it, love?

Arya saw Eragon's eyes go wide and she knew she didn't control her emotions fast enough. Thinking of some excuse quickly, she was about to say something when she blacked out.

To say that Eragon was surprised would be the understatement of the century. All he could remember was that he was sparring with Arya when his world erupted into pain and darkness. As he was unconscious, the shades magic was eating at his will to live. Eragon was wishing for death when he saw visions of Saphira dead and Arya rejecting him again, when he noticed the magic cease. That was when he opened his eyes. He had time to process her facial expression when she collapsed on top of him, having fainted from the effort of healing his wound and reversing the shade's magic. Eragon was still wondering what had happened when he blacked out as well.

A/N: thank you arkillon for giving me the idea for reversing the Eragon/Arya mortally wounded thing. It opened up a challenge I am embracing, but it will take time. Sorry for shortness, but u all need an update. Once I get past them waking up, the updates will move faster.


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